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SSD or HDD – which do I choose?

In the past, the choice between a Solid State Drive (SSD) and Hard Disk Drive (HDD) was almost a non-option, with most computers and laptops coming equipped with the conventional hard disk drive. Nowadays, there is much more choice and flexibility on the market and consumers can make a decision more appropriate to their needs.

Solid state drives have received a lot of praise for offering substantial advantages over the traditional HDD option. But what really are the differences between the two, and what are the ideal applications of each of these devices?

A solid state drive is a device that uses solid state memory for the storage of data. This means that, similarly to a memory stick, there are no mechanical parts to the solid state drive which instead stores information in microchips. This differs from HDD, where a mechanical arm is used to move around and read information from a storage platter.

Due to this factor, solid state drives function a lot quicker than their HDD counterparts, making them an attractive option for many users. One of the fastest speeds that a solid state drive can achieve is a massive 1,000 MB/sec read speed. Because of the reliance of HDD on moving mechanical parts, speed is significantly slower than this.

HDD is further slowed down by file fragmentation. On the other hand, another advantage of the solid state drive is that file fragmentation doesn’t affect its speed, as it can simultaneously obtain information from anywhere on a drive. Therefore for quickness, a solid state device is the clear winner over HDD.

Solid state drives also have a major advantage over HDD when it comes to reliability, again making them an increasingly attractive choice for many users. Due to the reliance on mechanical functions, hard disk drives can suffer from shock and drop damage, whereas the functionality of the SSD is not at risk to the same extent.

It can also be argued that the solid disk drive has numerous other benefits, including a longer battery life, reduced noise and vibration, less heat and the elimination of the need for the disk defragmentation that the HDD requires.

All of this said, the traditional HDD does have some quite significant advantages when compared to the solid state drive. The first of this is cost. With a far lower price per GB that the SSD, a hard disk drive remains an extremely cost-effective option, which is understandably a major concern of many users.

The HDD also boasts the capability to hold a much larger volume of files than the solid state drive. For this reason, it remains a popular option with those that need a considerable amount of data storage and are more concerned with this that the potentialdisadvantages that a traditional disk drive may have.

It is also worth noting that a solid state drive can only withstand a limited number of write cycles. This is due to the limitations of the flash memory cells that the device uses. Defragmenting a solid state drive will result in unnecessary writes to the drive, further limiting its lifespan.

The HDD, however, is more appropriate for heavy use, with longer data retention than with the SSD. That said, manufacturers of solid state drives are constantly working to improve the lifespan of these devices, so they should not be ruled out completely for this reason.

All in all, the solid state drive offers a number of advantages over the HDD, including much faster speeds, greater durability and improved reliability. However, hard disk drives are still a popular choice for those looking to store a lot of data on a smaller budget; the final choice depends all on the needs and requirements of each individual user.

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jack Arthur .